The American Health Information Management Association’s (AHIMA) National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards – certified by the United States Department of Labor (DOL) this week – will help the industry meet urgent demands for highly-trained health information management (HIM) and technology professionals.

The DOL officially awarded the certification Thursday during the Healthcare Forward Summit: Roadmap to Building the Rural and Veteran Workforce presented by AHIMA and the AHIMA Foundation. The certification of the guidelines will help bridge the gap for graduating or post-certification students seeking a career in HIM through paid apprenticeships, which will provide a clear a pathway to full-time employment by prospective employers who offer the program through the DOL’s Employment and Training Administration. The job titles for which the guidelines were developed identify some of the fastest-growing career opportunities within HIM: hospital coder, clinical documentation improvement specialist, HIM business analyst and HIM data analyst. Additional positions will also be developed.

“The Department of Labor’s certifications of AHIMA’s guidelines not only highlights the value [Read more…]

Healthcare administrators typically work in healthcare facilities such as hospitals, nursing care centers, public health departments and medical research institutions. However, generalists and specialist healthcare administrators normally have different roles and responsibilities at the workplace. In general, the former are normally in charge of several aspects such as planning, co-ordination and supervision while the latter take on a single administrative role in a health care facility. Therefore, before you decide whether you want to pursue a career as a specialist or general health administrator, it is important to understand the pros and cons of both types of administrators. Here is a detailed comparison of healthcare administration generalists vs. specialists.

Specialists

Specialists focus, in great depth, on one area of health administration, and, as such, develop the skills necessary [Read more…]

If you have strong computer skills, have great focus and attention to detail and you would like to work in the medical field, a career in medical billing and coding might suit you well. In this profession, you will process insurance and patient payments for medical facilities, use universal medical codes to translate doctors’ orders to insurance companies and submit insurance claims and be responsible for a variety of other important tasks. Much of the time, you will work in the office attending to your work via computer and the phone. Sometimes, however it may be necessary to consult with patients or patient caregivers to double-check information. You must be able to communicate effectively in person, over the phone and via the written word.

This is an industry where there is a great deal of change coming in the next couple of years and that change is creating opportunity for new coders.

Training

This medical career requires taking a course at an accredited institution and receiving certification. As it is a high-demand career, you will find many opportunities for study including medical billing and coding at Sanford Brown. You may receive a diploma or an associates degree. The latter is preferred and the degree will open up more job opportunities for you. This takes approximately two years to complete. It may take more time or less time, depending on your personal circumstances. Financial aid, such as government loans, is available.

During your course of study, expect to learn medical terminology, medical record keeping, coding, physiology, and anatomy. You may also have coursework [Read more…]

Adding CODESMART to a list of EHR users launches Train For EHR alongside a Giant in ICD 10 Training. CODESMART™ UNIVERSITY’s is adding EMR / EHR training within the online programs for medical coders. This has brought Train For EHR deeper into the post secondary education market. CODESMART’s online program prepares individuals seeking a new career path as medical coders. Medical coding is one of the fastest growing fields in the healthcare [Read more…]

Are you a healthcare or information technology professional that’s interested in expanding your expertise? Would you like to help hospitals and medical practices implement and maintain electronic health records and meet meaningful use requirements? Did you know there was an inexpensive program being offered at community colleges around the country that can help to prepare you for certification in weeks rather than years and at very little cost?

The program is called the Health IT Workforce Development Program and most people are still unaware of its existence. The program is funded by the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology with the goal of training a new workforce of health IT pros who can help providers implement electronic health records to improve health care quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness.

According to Ms. Gooding the people attracted to the program already have a broad range of experience in either health care or information technology and they’re sharpening their skills to take advantage of the opportunities presented as more practices and hospitals convert to electronic health records . The average age of program participants is 44 years old, which is an indication of the amount of experience these students are bringing to the program.

Training is focused on the following roles that are selected during the enrollment process:

Practice workflow and information management redesign specialists

Clinician/practitioner consultants

Implementation support specialists

Implementation managers

Technical/software support staff

Trainers

Practice workflow and information management redesign specialists

According to information provided by Ms. Gooding the program is well on the way to hitting the goal of training over 10,000 people by the end of 2012. Through November 30, 2011 over seven thousand had successfully completed the training.

The program is currently being offered in 81 community colleges that are grouped into 5 regions around the United States. The regions are grouped geographically in the Northeast, South, Southwest, Northwest, and Midwest. Prices for the training, can range from free to $800 depending on ONC sponsored tuition assistance and the particular community college you choose to enroll in.

The training offered at the different community colleges is essentially the same, but it’s offered on different schedules and over different time frames. The training can be done entirely online so shop around for the price and schedule that suites your needs. When your training is complete you should be prepared for the HIT Pro Examination. Pass that exam and you’re certified as a Health Information Technology Professional.

As the healthcare industry plans for the Oct. 1, 2013, implementation of the ICD-10-CM/PCS code sets, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) is beginning their launch of new online courses to provide coders and other healthcare professionals the training they need to manage this important transition. AHIMA also announced the introduction of a Training Pathways Guide that offers practical recommendations to users on the training curriculum ideally suited for their specific healthcare settings and roles.

AHIMA’s ICD-10 online training courses provide health information management (HIM) professionals with flexible training options for in-depth training of coders and other healthcare professionals in the acute care setting, as well as specialty settings such as home health, long-term care and physician practice. Modular, convenient and self-paced, AHIMA’s courses address coding for the full range of individual chapters in ICD-10 CM and the root operations in ICD-10 PCS. The modules also address essential introductory material needed to understand ICD-10 CM/PCS. Awareness, implementation preparation and foundational training modules will also be offered for other healthcare professionals involved in the ICD-10 conversion. [Read more…]

Career Quest Learning Centers has announced that it is introducing a new Health Information Technology program to meet employer demands for new workers to handle federally mandated electronic health records. The Federal mandate streamlining patient records is also creating new jobs; the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 35,000 jobs nationwide will be created for employees who will work with and manage confidential patient health records.

Enrollment for the Health Information Technology program is now open with classes starting February 1 at Career Quest campuses in Lansing, Jackson and Kalamazoo, Michigan. Students who enroll in the program will finish in less than a year. Classes are offered both nights and during the day to accommodate the needs of working adults.

The Health Information Technology program at Career Quest is a 900 hour, or 47-semester credits, program. The program was designed to prepare students to enter a career with the skills employers are looking for. Students in the Health Information Technology program will become skilled in foundation computer skills, will understand and be fluent in using medical terminology and will gain a thorough understanding of today’s modern health care environment including regulations and payer systems. Graduates of the program will be prepared to work with electronic medical records in hospitals, clinics, medical labs, or in any health care setting where patients are seen. [Read more…]

Information Technology workers looking for an exciting challenge as healthcare IT professionals, can finally benefit from a new opportunity to train online, while earning an industry-recognized national certification. The Healthcare Information Technology Professional (HITP) course provides the fundamental knowledge and skills required by technical professionals to support a medical practice, clinic or facility in its adoption of Health IT and beyond.

Alameda Services, a New York based organization specializing in Healthcare courseware development introduced the new course to enable IT professionals to leverage their knowledge of information and computer science, while learning the core concepts of the US healthcare system, medical information systems and business intelligence and analytics.

“Our team of industry healthcare and information technology experts has designed this course specifically to offer new employment opportunities to IT workers and those who have a basic working knowledge of office technology,” says Lena Feygin, Dip LC, executive vice president and director of business development for Alameda Services. “We provide the crucial tools and training materials to facilitate the learning process, foster new skill development and ensure career success in the healthcare industry.” [Read more…]

Expanding adoption of electronic health records must be accompanied by improved training in effective use of the technology to ensure improved patient outcomes. That’s the message in a one-pager, “EHR Implementation Without Meaningful Use Can Lead to Worse Outcomes,” published in the Dec. 1 issue of American Family Physician.

The one-pager, produced by the Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care, notes that installing EHRs alone will not improve patient outcomes and calls for strong support for training in the meaningful use of EHRs.

“Support for practices implementing these technologies will need to be coupled with practical training on how EHRs can be used to support better patient health, especially those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes mellitus,” write authors Jesse Crosson, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the New Jersey Medical School, and Andrew Bazemore, MD, MPH, and Robert Phillips, Jr., MD, MSPH, assistant director and director of the Robert Graham Center respectively. [Read more…]

As healthcare providers expand their use of information technology solutions for patient care and medical practice administration, CompTIA, the non-profit trade association for the IT industry, has introduced a new credential for IT workers serving the healthcare market.

The CompTIA Healthcare IT Technician specialty certification is a vendor- and technology-neutral credential that covers the knowledge required to implement, deploy and support healthcare IT systems, including electronic medical record and electronic health record (EMR/EHR) systems.

CompTIA also announced today that the first CompTIA Authorized Quality Curriculum approved courseware for the Healthcare IT Technician specialty certification is now available from Element K. The instructor-led training from Element K focuses on essential healthcare IT concepts and terminology, as well as how to deploy and support EMR/EHR systems.

Technology is viewed as an important component of a medical practice by nine out of ten doctors, dentists and healthcare administrators surveyed for CompTIA’s Third Annual Healthcare IT Insights and Opportunities study, published earlier this month. Three-fourths of healthcare providers expect to increase their technology spending in the next 12 months compared to last year.

“Technology is clearly changing the way healthcare is delivered,” said Terry Erdle, executive vice president, skills certification, CompTIA. “That means the skill sets of IT professionals working in healthcare must change as well.

“The CompTIA Healthcare IT Technician specialty certification addresses both technical proficiency and knowledge of healthcare terminology and regulatory requirements,” Erdle continued. “Individuals who earn this credential will be well positioned to install, administer service and support healthcare IT systems in a broad range of clinical settings.”

The CompTIA Healthcare IT Technician specialty certification closely maps to two job roles for skilled health IT specialists identified by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT as being critical in helping healthcare providers transition to EMR/EHR systems. These job roles are implementation support specialist and technical and software support staff.

The credential is also highly relevant for managed IT service providers that deliver technology services and consultation to medical facilities, offices and practices; and to healthcare professionals involved in healthcare IT liaison roles

Potential candidates should possess a basic understanding of a medical practice workflow while adhering to code of conduct policies and security best practices. The exam is intended for IT professionals who are CompTIA A+ certified or have 500 hours of hands-on IT technical experience in the lab or field, plus the knowledge and skills necessary to deploy and support healthcare IT systems in clinical settings. The specialty certification can also be used to validate the technical skills of healthcare professionals with adequate training or experience in the basics of IT hardware installation and maintenance…

Areas of healthcare IT covered in the exam include regulatory requirements; organizational behavior; IT operations medical business operations; and security. Complete exam objectives are on the CompTIA certification web site. Exam vouchers are available in North America through the CompTIA Marketplace or directly through Pearson VUE and Prometric.